Big drug haul along Indo-Bangla border worth Rs 40 crore

In the biggest ever seizure of contraband in terms of value along India-Bangladesh border, BSF troops have seized cocaine worth Rs 40 crore from an incoming truck along the Integrated Check Post at Petrapole in West Bengal.

The incident took place on the evening of October 28 along the ICP in North 24 Parganas district when Border Security Force personnel conducted a special operation based on some inputs.

Officials on Friday said a truck with West Bengal registration plate was intercepted as soon as it crossed into India and a bag containing 10 kgs of suspected narcotic drugs was identified and seized.

They said the BSF team subsequently alerted anti-narcotics sleuths who confirmed the seized item to be cocaine. “This is the biggest haul of drugs in terms of value at this border. The estimated cost of the cache is Rs 40 crore in international market with the per kg value of this grade of cocaine being Rs 4 crore,” they said.

The seized contraband has been handed over to Narcotics Control Bureau sleuths who have also arrested the driver, identified as S Shil (22), of the truck under anti-narcotics laws, they said.